{"id":677,"date":"2026-05-20T15:52:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:52:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/?p=677"},"modified":"2026-05-20T15:52:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:52:33","slug":"what-sustainability-means-to-me-as-a-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/2026\/05\/20\/what-sustainability-means-to-me-as-a-student\/","title":{"rendered":"What sustainability means to me as a student"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As an MSc Economics student, Alex Luu has seen sustainability shift from a side topic to something that shapes how students study, live, and plan their futures. In this blog, he shares why it matters to him and why student voices are key to making change happen.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>'Sustainability, as defined by the United Nations, means 'meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.' This definition often comes to mind as I follow news stories of social and environmental devastation. From the destructive hurricane that tore through Jamaica to the rapid increase in water and energy demand driven by new AI data centres, these events sadly do not stand alone. Instead, they are part of a pattern that is becoming harden to ignore.<\/p>\n<p>I am far from alone in feeling concerned.<\/p>\n<p>At the University of Bath, the 2024\/25 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/publications\/sustainability-survey-results\/\">Sustainability Survey<\/a> found 87% of students feel worried when thinking about climate change, and 94% believe the University should be taking action on climate change and sustainability. This clearly reflects how strongly sustainability resonates with my peers.<\/p>\n<h1>Thinking about my future<\/h1>\n<p>As students approaching the start of our professional journeys, we naturally look towards the future. But how often is sustainability factored into our career choices?<\/p>\n<p>When applying for jobs, I consistently ask myself:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>what does this company do?<\/li>\n<li>is it sustainable?<\/li>\n<li>are they actively working towards environmental and social responsibility?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Although the job application process is often tedious, I want my future employer\u2014and therefore my work\u2014to reflect my values. It's not just me; nearly 60% of Gen Z and Millennial workers would leave a job due to misaligned values, suggesting sustainability is no longer a nice to have. It is shaping real career decisions.<\/p>\n<p>For many students, however, full-time careers may still feel distant. The good news is that meaningful action doesn\u2019t have to wait.<\/p>\n<h1>Creating change together<\/h1>\n<p>Sustainability can start with everyday actions. For me, that means buying second-hand through charity shops and Vinted, walking to campus (despite the steepness), and eating more plant-based meals. These small changes quickly add up and do more than just reduce my environmental impact. I've noticed a number of hidden benefits along the way including saving money and boosting my wellbeing.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_680\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-680\" style=\"width: 1370px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-680\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/30877-0839-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1370\" height=\"909\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/30877-0839-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/30877-0839-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/30877-0839-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/30877-0839-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/30877-0839-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/30877-0839-324x215.jpg 324w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1370px) 100vw, 1370px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-680\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Exchange scheme on campus is a simple way we all reduce single-use waste.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>However, the road to a sustainable future cannot be achieved through individual action alone; it requires collective effort. Students like myself are the leaders of today and tomorrow, and using our voices is a powerful tool for change.<\/p>\n<p>We can use our influence for good by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>participating in surveys<\/li>\n<li>speaking to our tutors and academic reps<\/li>\n<li>joining forces with like-minded people in societies and groups<\/li>\n<li>attending protests<\/li>\n<li>making conscious choices about where we spend our money<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Active engagement can push institutions and businesses to take sustainability more seriously.<\/p>\n<h1>Why you should get involved<\/h1>\n<p>Getting involved in sustainability is not just good for the planet, it's good for you. Personally, I\u2019ve found a strong sense of community among people who want to make a difference. I\u2019ve also built valuable skills and knowledge that have helped me adopt a more intentional and informed approach to living sustainably.<\/p>\n<p>If you're looking to get started, I'd recommend:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>exploring the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/publications\/student-guide-to-living-sustainably\/\">Student Guide to Living Sustainably<\/a>, for practical, budget-friendly ways to build sustainable habits<\/li>\n<li>take part in an upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/campaigns\/take-a-carbon-literacy-course\/\">Carbon Literacy course<\/a>\u00a0to build skills and knowledge, and boost your CV<\/li>\n<li>join initiatives such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/campaigns\/green-impact\/\">Green Impact<\/a> for hands-on experience (it's how I ended up writing this blog!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And remember, sustainability isn\u2019t just about the future, it\u2019s about the choices we make today.'<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-678 size-thumbnail alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/IMG_4822-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/IMG_4822-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/IMG_4822-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/IMG_4822-215x215.jpeg 215w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/IMG_4822.jpeg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Alex Luu<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MSc Economics<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As an MSc Economics student, Alex Luu has seen sustainability shift from a side topic to something that shapes how students study, live, and plan their futures. In this blog, he shares why it matters to him and why student...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1973,"featured_media":679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-blog"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2026\/05\/30820-0154-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1973"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/sustainable-bath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}